Art of lasting shoes



Oct. 16, 1945. J. a. KAMBORIAN ART OF LASTING SHOES Filed June 16, 1944 Patented Oct. 16, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ART OF LASTING SHOES Jacob S. Kamborian, West Newton, Mass. Application June 16, 1944, Serial No. 540,632

7 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in the art of lasting shoes, and more particularly the step of wiping-in and pressing down the lastingmargins of uppers upon the outer edge of the insole by a presser or ironing device, whereby such margins are subjected to heavy compression while the cementitious material which unites the margins to the insole is. setting.

In my prior Patent No. 2,108,670, dated February 15, 1938, is disclosed a presser device of this type, and the device by which the present invention is carried out is a. further development of that described and claimed therein. The patented device acts principally upon the portionof the shoe sole in front of the ball of the sole and is so constructed that less pressure is applied to the portions behind the ball of the sole.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide means whereby wiping-in and pressing down operations may be accomplished as well at the shank and ball'area as at the forepart and toe.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a, presser device so constructed that pressure is applied to the ball area and the portion of the insole in front of such area in one direction. and to the insole behind such area in a different direction, and the wiping-in of the lasted margins may be performed during the application of pressure in both directions.

More specifically, such a device is horseshoeshaped and comprises a pair of elongate members pivotally connected at the toe and curved lengthwise, each member comprising at least two hingedly connected sections.

7 These and other objects of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a bottom plan view ofan insole and upper assembled on a last, the margins of the upper having been pulled over and held in position by tacks;

Fig. 215 a top plan view of a presser device embodying this invention shown arranged upon the margins of the upper (at the beginning of the operation) upon the forep'art of a lasted shoe;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the parts at the completion of such operation;

Fig. 4- is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the presser device and shoe, showing, in full lines, the device in the position of Fig. 2, and in dotted lines the final. position taken by the device; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the forepart of the lasted shoe after treatment by the device.

The presser device ii shown in the drawing is of substantially horseshoe-shape in plan view (Figs. 2 and 3) and comprises a pair of elongate toe and forepartv members i l and I2, which are curved lengthwise to conform approximately to the contour of the insole and which are pivotally connected at the toe by a pin or bolt Hi to swing about an axis substantially perpendicular to the last bottom. To the rear or free end of each member H and 112, there is hinged, by

a pin i6, an elongate shank and ball presser M and i5, respectively. Straps H are pivotally attached at their outer ends to the sections Hand l2 and at their inner ends to a handle l8; The straps ll thus form a bridge which connects the parts i! and I2 without interfering with their relative movement about pin l3, and the handle it facilitates the manipulation of the device. Straps W are pivotally attaehedat their outer ends respectively to the rear sections it and It and at their inner ends to a socket'element it designed to receive the hold-down device of a usual type of bed-lasting machine, such a hold-down being for example illustrated in the patent to Keyes l,l20,822' of December 15, 1914.

By reason of the hinge connections at l6 the rear ends of sections l5 may be moved up-and down. A spring plate [9 attached to the inner walls of th sections H and i2 tends to separate the rear ends of members H and i2 as shown in Fig. 2, the straps l1 limiting this movement of expansion.

The members it and it are of-stiff rigid material, e. g. steel, brass or the like, and their bottom surfaces are preferably devoid of any spurs, teeth or other projections which might penetrate or injure the lasting margins of the uppers or the insoles. Nevertheless, it may be found, of advantage to roughen or knurl such surfaces and thereby attain a, frictional grip upon the lasting margins. The outer lateral wall of each member H and i2 is provided with an elongate groove or recess 20, preferably nearer the bottom surfaces than the top surfaces (see Fig. 4) as more fully described in Kamborian Patent No. 2,108,- 670, February 15, 1938. I

The lasting operation in accordance with this invention with thepresser device 10, is performed as follows: The shoe is assembled with a last 25 and the lasting margins 26 of the upper are pulled over the insole 21 and positioned by tacks 28 (Fig. l). The last is then mounted in a bed lasting machine of anywell-known type K having lasting wipers 29 and 30, and'a holddown H, and the margins 26 are wiped in and disposed flat against the under surface of the insole 2'1. The wiper 29 and 30 are retracted and the presser'device I!) placed upon the shoe bottom, and the wipers, having first been slightly raised, are advanced into the grooves or recesses 20 of the sections II and I2 (Fig. 2). The advance of the wipers 29 and 30 contracts the device against the action of the spring is and cause the device to take the form shown in Fig. 3. Preferably, prior to this action of the wipers,-the hold-down device H of the lasting machine is engaged with the socket i8 and caused to apply downward pressure such as t 'f swing the parts 14 and I5 down about their hinge pins l6 and to apply pressure to the upper material in the shank portion of the shoe.

The lasting margins. are thus,wiped-in and pressed down upon the ballareas and portions of the insole in front thereof. This movement of the sections l4 and i 5 does not disturb the position of the sections II and I2 which are held in position by the wipers 29 and 30. The downward swinging of the sections M and 15 may take place while the members I I and I2 are being shifted in position from that shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3 or, after the parts II and I2 have been moved to the position of Fig. 3.

Assuming that the margins of the upper are to be secured to the insole by the use of a cementitious material, e. g. latex, cement or other adhesive, such material will be introduced between the margins and insole at some time during the lasting operation, usually before the first wipingin. The presser device is usually heated, for

example electrically, or by being kept on a stove or hot plate when not in use. The members H and I2 not only compress and flatten the margins 26 but also exert a wiping-in or tensioning action. It will be noted that the direction of the pressure applied by the sections l4 and I5, which act on the shank and ball area, is at an angle to the direction of the pressure applied by the parts H and 12, the pressure applied by. the parts H and I2 being substantially normal to the bottom of the forepart, and the pressure applied by the parts [4 and i5 being substantially normalto the forward part of the shank and the ball portion a of the shoe bottom.

Whileone embodiment of presser device has been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto since structural changes may be made therein, or other embodiments may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A presser device of substantially horseshoe contour for use in lasting shoes, said device comprising two elongate members pivotally connected at theirforward ends to swingabout an axis substantially perpendicular to the last bottom, each member being curved lengthwise to conform sube stantially to the contour of the outer edge of the fore part of an insole, and a presser hinged to the rear end of each of said elongate members so as to swing about an axis extending transversely of the last bottom, and a handle for manipulating said device.

2. A presser device of substantially horseshoe shape foruse in lasting shoes, said device comprising two elongate members pivotally connected at the toe end of the device to swing about an aXis substantially perpendicular to the last bottom, each of said members being curved lengtha wise to conform substantially to the contour of the outer edge of the fore part of an insole, a presser hinged to the rear end of each of said elongate members, each presser being movable about an axis extending substantially parallel to the last bottom, a bridge connecting said pressers, and means carried by the bridge for the application of force for urging both pressers simultaneously toward the last bottom.

3. A presser device of substantially horseshoe shape-for use in lastingshoes, said device comprising two curved members pivoted together ad- Jacent to the toe end of the device so as to swing about an axis substantially perpendicular to the last bottom, each of said members being shaped to conform substantially to the contour of the outer edge of the fore part of an insole and havinga substantially flat under-surface devoid of insole penetrating elements, spring means tending to separate the rear ends of said elongate membersa handle for manipulating the device, a presser hinged to the rear end of each elongate member so as to swing about an axis substantially parallel to the last bottom, and meansmay be manipulated, the presser device comprising a pair of complementary members, each curved to conform substantially to the contour of the margin of one side of the toe portion at least of an insole, said members being pivotally connected adjacent to the toe end of the device so as to swing about an axis substantially perpendicular to the last bottom, each of said members having a substantially flat under-surface and having an elongate groove in its outer lateral surface for the reception of an edge of the respective wiper of the lasting machine whereby, by concomitant inward and downward movement of the wipers when their edges are in said grooves, the curved members are caused to approach each other and to approach th 'bottom of the insole thereby to flatten the wiped-in marginal material of the upper and to exert a wipingin action thereupon, and a presser hinged to the rear end of each of said members so as to swing about an axis extending transversely of the insole.

5. A resser device for use in a lasting machine of the kind having means for supporting a last, a hold-down, and wipers movable toward the last bottom and also laterally toward the median line of the last from opposite sides of the latter, said presser device being of substantially horseshoe shape in plan and having a handle whereby it may be manipulated, the presser device also comprising a pair of complementary members, each curved to conform substantially to the contour of the margin of one side of the toe portion, at least, of an'insole, said members being pivotally connected adjacent to the toe end of the device so as to swing about an axis substantially perpendicular to the last bottom, each of said members having a substantially fiat under-surface and having an elongate groove in its outer lateral surface for the reception of an edge of one of the respective wipers of the lasting machine whereby, by concomitant inward and downward movement of the wipers, when their edges are in said grooves, the curved members are caused to approach each other and 'to approach the bottom of the insole thereby to flatten the wiped-in marginal material of the upper and to exert a wipingin action thereupon, a presser hinged to the rear end of each of said members so as to swing about an axis extending transversely of the insole, and means whereby force may be applied simultaneously to said pressers by the hold-down of the machine.

6. A presser device .for use in a lasting machine of the kind having means for supporting a last, a hold-down, and wipers movable toward the last bottom and also laterally toward the median line of the last from opposite sides of the latter, said presser device being of substantially horeshoe shape in plan and having a handle whereby it may be manipulated, the presser device comprising a pair of complementary members, each curved to conform substantially to the contour of the margin of one side of the toe portion at least of an insole, said members being pivotally connected adjacent to the toe end of the deviceso as to swing about an axis substantially perpendicular to the last bottom, each of said members having a substantially flat undersurface and having an elongate groove in its outer lateral surface for the reception of an edge of one of the respective wipers of the lasting machine whereby, by concomitant inward and downward movement of the wipers, when their edges are in said grooves, the curved members are caused to approach each other and to approachthe bottom of the insole thereby to flatten the wiped-in marginal material of the upper and to exert a wiping-in action thereupon, and a presser hinged to the rear end of each of said members so as to swing about an axis extending transversely of the insole, means connecting said pressers, and a socket device mounted on said connecting means midway between said pressers for the reception of the hold-down of the lasting machine.

7. A presser device for use in lasting shoes, said device comprising elongate members each curved to conform substantially to the contour of a portion of the outer edge of an insole, each of said members being of a width sufl'icient substantially to cover the marginal portion of the shoe upper which overlaps the under-surface of the insole, connections including a transverse bridge member so uniting said elongate members as to permit them to move toward and from each other, a handle carried by the bridgemember, spring means tending to move said members away from each other, each of said members having a groove in its outer surface for the reception of a force-applying element, a presser hinged to the rear end of each said elongate members so as to swing about an axis extending transversely of the insole substantially at the ball portion of the latter, a transverse bridge so uniting said. pressers as to permit them to move toward and from each other, and a pressure-receiving element carried by the bridge and designed for the application of force for urging said pressers toward the bottom of the insole.

JACOB S. KAMBORIAN. 

